Grade-climbing attachment for shoes.



No. 68I,959. Patented Sept. 3, I90L- J. E. FENNO. I GRADE CLIMBING ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES.

(Application filed Nov. 2,1900.)-

(No Model.)

/A/ VEN'TOF 170/322 E. Far/7&0

WITNESSES A TTOHNE Y8 "rm: mums wrrzns co. mo'rouwu. WASNKNGTON, u cl UNITE TATES AT FICE- JOHN EDWARDI ENNO, OF HOISINGTON, KANSAS.

GRADE-CLIMBING ATTACHMENT FOR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,959, dated September 3, 1901.

Application filed November 2, 1900. $erial No. 35,249. (N0 11105610 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN EDWARD FENNo, of Hoisington, in the county of Barton and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoe Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of an attachment to a shoe designed to facilitate walking when ascending grades,as in mountain-climbing, &c. 5 and it consists in a device to be fastened to the shoe something after the manner of a ladys skate and which comprises a vertically-extensible heel portion that is adapted to elevate the heel to such a position as to cause the bottom of the foot to be substantially horizontal in advancing uphill, as will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the drawing, in which the figure is a side View of the attachment applied to a shoe.

In the drawing, a represents a vertical tubular portion which is adapted to receive the heel of the shoe and is formed with or attached to a shank-piece a, extending along under the instep, and which tubular heel portion is also formed with or attached to a counter portion I), curving up around and inclosing the heel of the foot,like the rear portion of a ladys skate. This counter portion has on its sides attaching -loops 6, to which a strap f and buckle g are secured and which are designed to be fastened around the instep to hold the attachment onto the shoe. The shank portion a has similar attaching-loops e for another strap f and buckle g, which fasten over the ball of the foot to securely hold the device in place. The heel portion a is preferably of cylindrical shape outside and has formed on it external screw-threads adapted to be engaged by interior screw-threads on an adjustable external cap-piece c, which screws on the outside of a and is arranged to be turned up or down thereon, so as to give a greater or less elevation to the heel. When the cap 0 is turned to the position that gives a proper elevation to the heel to compensate for the rise in grade, said cap is fixed to such adjustment by a set-screw cl, which passes through the side of the cap and enters one of a series of holes in the socket or tube a, and thus prevents the cap from rotating thereon.

tom of the foot to a level or horizontal position, which will be the long side of a rightangled triangle whose hypotheneuse represents the grade. The climbing of the hill will thus be divested of much of the'strain upon the ankle and foot, and a more erect and comfortable attitude may be preserved with a smaller tax upon the vital powers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A grade-climbing attachment for a shoe, comprising a hollow part adapted to receive the heel of the shoe, with devices for attaching said hollow part to the foot, and an adjustable extension for said hollow part sub stantially as described.

2. A grade-climbing attachment for a shoe, comprising a hollow part adapted to receive the heel of the shoe, with devices for attaching said hollow part to the foot, a screwthreaded extension for said hollow portion, and a locking device for holding said extension to its adjustment substantially as described.

3. A grade-climbing attachment for a shoe, comprising a hollow part adapted to receive the heel of the shoe, a rigidly-attached coun ter fixed to the said hollow part and extend ing over the heel of the foot, and a rigidlyattached shank extending under the instep, said counter and shank having attaching straps and buckles, and an adjustable exten sion of the said hollow part substantially as described.

JOHN EDWARD FENNO.

Vitnesses:

OYRENIS Yosr, GEORGE W. THATCHER. 

